Lost at Sea
by xXWrittenSinsXx
Summary: With age, the cul-de-sac gang has grown apart, everyone finding their own cliques in high school; Even the Eds aren't as close as they used to be. And yet, when Edd is targeted by a baseball jock, the cul-de-sac gang all come to his defense. A story about reuniting with old friends and childhood memories, and finding something else along the way, something far more special. Kevedd.
1. Chapter 1

Summary:  
With age, the cul-de-sac gang has grown apart, everyone finding their own cliques in high school; Even the Eds aren't as close as they used to be. And yet, when Edd is targeted by a baseball jock, the cul-de-sac gang all come to his defense. A story about reuniting with old friends and childhood memories, and finding something else along the way, something far more special. KevEdd; High school age.

Author notes: Jimmy and Sarah are freshmen and the rest of the gang are seniors — and for some reason I keep referring to everyone as the "Cul-de-sac gang." I don't know why. The name kind of just stuck. I'm still working on getting everyone in character, since I just started writing for this fandom (and pairing, which by the way I'm totally obsessed with now). Keep in mind since it's an older setting, I did change a few character traits intentionally. For example, there will be the occasional swear word, so if reading one of your childhood character's dropping an 'F' bomb is going to traumatize you for life, I seriously consider backing away slowly and running as far away from this fanfic as you can because I intend to include far more "traumatizing" material in later chapters. And in case you aren't aware what KevEdd is, it's the pairing Kevin/Edd. Also, the title is based off the song of the same title by Zedd, which by the why will always be a Kevin/Edd song to me now thanks to a KevEdd comic to this song by c2ndy2c1d [ post/48512423337/lost-at-sea]— although this fanfic has absolutely nothing to do with that comic xD It does relate to the song though (kind of... I couldn't come up with anything else for the title...).

Tumblr: [ xXWrittenSinsXx ] - I post update/story info on my tumblr, so if you want to stay up to date with current stories I'm working on and story ideas I have for the future, this is the place it. I'm sooo addicted to Tumblr.

* * *

Today started off just like any other day at Peach Creek high school, except perhaps Edd was studying twice as much as normal due to an upcoming AP Calculus test. All in all, it had been a good day so far. He had received a hundred on his essay in English and in gym all they had done was sign up for a new activity for the new quarter, which required very little physical energy—always a plus in his book. As he made his way through the lunch line, which was serving his favorite, turkey and gravy, he was in a terrific mood. All he had left today was AP Chemistry, which was by far his favorite class. He loved science.

As he made his way into the cafeteria, tray in hand, he pondered over what to expect on his AP Calculus test. Caught in his own thoughts, Edd didn't notice the dark haired baseball player a few feet in front of him nudge his friend, nodding at him with a smirk, nor did he notice the teen stick out his foot. He _did_ however notice his foot catch on the teen's and before he could even react, he was crashing face first into the ground, **hard**. His tray slammed against the floor with a deafening clatter and food splattered his front as laughter erupted around him. Horror and embarrassment flooded through Edd as he blinked potatoes out of his eyes, heat rushing to his face. _Please, please, please let me wake up right now and let this all be a bad dream_, Edd thought as he squeezed his eyes close, feeling like he might be sick.

"You bastard!" An all too familiar voice yelled, and Edd froze, his mind reeling in panic. He knew that voice: Kevin. What had he done to piss Kevin off? And judging by the sound of it the redhead was beyond pissed; he sounded madder than Edd had ever recalled hearing him—and that was saying something considering he had grown up with Eddy. Hands seized him under his arms and before he could do more than gasp, he was lifted into the air.

"Are you okay, Double D?" Ed's loud voice asked next to his ear, filled with concern. Edd sagged in relief. He had half-expected to find Kevin waiting for him, fist raised, but it was just Ed. Big, lovable Ed, wearing his football jersey and an expression full of the utmost concern. Ed set him on his feet and began brushing food off him, only succeeding in smearing it further. Edd opened his mouth to stammer out he was fine, but before he could another familiar yell cut through the noise of the cafeteria.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!"

Seconds later, Sarah burst through the crowd that had gathered, shoving students violently out of her way. Her teeth were bared in a snarl and her hands were clenched into tight fist at her sides, both dangerous signs, but she stomped straight pass Edd and up to the baseball player who had tripped him—the baseball player who, Edd now realized with a jolt, was being dangled in the air by none other than Kevin. Jimmy was one step behind Sarah, echoing her words with a defiant, "Yeah!"

"Not cool, dude," Nazz's voice called out behind Edd. She joined his side, glaring darkly at the baseball player before she turned to Edd, eyes softening with concern. "Are you okay, Double D?"

"I—" Edd began, but again he was cut off.

"When I get my hands on you, you are so dead!" An outraged Eddy threatened the baseball player as he burst into the clearing. Before he could even take more than a step towards the baseball player however, Ed intercepted, grabbing Eddy and restraining him.

"Get of me, Ed!"

"Violence is bad, Eddy!"

Edd stared at the scene before him, shocked. It was true the Cul-de-sac gang had all become friends after that incident with Eddy's brother back in junior high, but since reaching high school they had all separated into their own cliques, even the Eds. Edd had found himself among peers who possessed a similar love for knowledge as himself, Ed had put his strength and large size into use and joined the football team, and Eddy had found students who shared a similar taste for mischief as himself. It was a part of growing up Edd had been forced to accept, and yet, now, here they all were again in his defense, even Rolf and Jonny, the latter brandishing Plank at the baseball player like a sword. Emotions surged through Edd as he watched them all, moved almost to the point of tears. Deep down, he had missed this, the gang, the Cul-de-sac, _the past_—he had missed it a lot and he didn't realize how much until now.

Edd was brought crashing back to reality when the baseball player suddenly shoved Kevin hard, forcing the redhead to stumble backwards.

"What the hell is your problem?!" The baseball player demanded of Kevin. "Why do you care about some nerd?!"

"Nobody bully's my dork except me!" Keven yelled, shoving his fellow baseball player back just as hard and causing him to stumble back into the chairs behind him. The baseball player's expression darkened dangerously, livid, and he swung at Kevin. Kevin dodged the punch and slammed his fist into his teammate's face, sending him crashing into the table behind him. Edd gasped sharply, his hands flying to his mouth in horror. The baseball team sprung into action, several players jumping forward and seizing their fellow teammate as he moved to retaliate, and suddenly both Ed and Eddy were restraining Kevin. The redhead fought against their grips, straining to get at the baseball player. Never had Edd seen the teen look so mad.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A booming voice echoed throughout the cafeteria, and instantly everyone froze, the whole cafeteria going dead silent. The principal, a large beefy man with graying hair and a very large mustache, pushed himself into the clearing, his round face red in anger. "All of you, my office— NOW!"

Five minutes later, Edd found himself crowded inside the principal's office along with the whole Cul-de-sac gang and the baseball player who had tripped him. The principal lectured them all for what felt like an eternity, despite the fact that the only one who should be getting lectured right now was the offending baseball player and quite possibly Kevin for punching him. However, when Eddy tried to point this out the principal had silenced him with an icy glare and continued on as if he hadn't spoken. When the lecture was finally over, they were all ordered back to class with after school detention for causing such a commotion—all of them except Kevin and the baseball player who were required to stay behind.

"That principal is a total dick!" Sarah fumed as they walked down the hallway, kicking a random locker angrily.

"Sarah, you potty mouth!" Ed gasped, scandalized. "What would mom say!"

Sarah only rolled her eyes and slammed her foot against another locker.

"She's not wrong," Nazz muttered. "Who gives students detention for sticking up for a friend? Even Double D got detention and he was the victim!"

"A-About that," Edd said, but Nazz cut him off.

"Don't you dare apologize, Double D. None of this is your fault. Besides," She paused, a smile playing at her lips before she continued, "detention might not be all bad. It's been awhile since the whole gang has gotten together."

Agreement was echoed all around with reminiscent smiles and fond eyes, and Edd realized then that he wasn't the only on who had missed _this_. He could feel his own lips pull into a smile, happiness filling him despite everything. They walked in silence for a few seconds before Jonny spoke.

"What do you suppose will happen to Kevin?"

Immediately, all Edd's happiness was crushed. Kevin. How much trouble would the redhead get into for this? Edd didn't even want to consider the possibility that Kevin might lose his position as baseball captain. He had worked so hard to get there. Edd had seen him practicing in his backyard for hours, day after day, ever since freshman year.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Nazz said, but her voice held no conviction. They all fell silent after that. As they made their way further through the school, they began to drift apart, everyone heading to their own classrooms until it was just Ed, Edd, and Eddy left, just like the old days.

"Shouldn't you two return to class?" Edd asked them, knowing they both had English right now which was in the opposite direction they were currently going in.

"We'll get there eventually," Eddy said carelessly. Normally, Edd would lecture them on the importance of attending class, but right now he really couldn't bring himself to, partly because he wasn't quite ready to separate either. Eddy glanced at him then, taking in his food stained clothes. "I have an old gym shirt in my locker if you want it. Might smell though. Scratch that, it definitely smells. It's been in there since the beginning of the year."

"Thank you, but that's quite unnecessary," Edd told him, his nose scrunching up in distaste. "I have a spare set of clothes in my locker at all times in case of emergencies."

Eddy released a soft, breathy laugh and muttered under his breath, "Of course you do, Sockhead."

Ed and Eddy walked with him to his locker and hung out with him in the bathroom while he changed and cleaned up. Then they finally went their different ways. When Edd arrived at his AP Chemistry class it was with none of his previous excitement. The second he walked through the door, every eye on the classroom went to him. Edd sighed as he took his seat, doing his best to ignore the whispering that immediately started up behind him. Of course the whole school probably knew by now; That was the beauty of high school. For possibly the first time ever, Edd just wanted school to hurry up and be over.

When the last bell finally rung, Edd hurried to gather his materials and headed off to detention, something he had never once attended during his time in high school. He was the first to arrive, his earliness earning him an odd look from the teacher in charge as he slid into a desk near the front. The others didn't show up until several minutes later. Jimmy and Sarah showed up first with Nazz and Rolf not far behind. Jonny and Plank came next. Ed and Eddy were the last to arrive before the teacher shut the door firmly and declared detention now in session. Edd's heart sunk in his chest. There was no Kevin. His thoughts must've showed on his face because Nazz smiled knowingly at him and leaned towards him.

"Kevin's parents came and got him," Nazz told him quietly, her smile disappearing. "He got suspended, but don't worry. It's only for today and tomorrow. He'll be back Thursday." An evil smirk appeared on her face as she added, "That baseball player who tripped you, Ryan, is suspended until Monday and he got three Saturday detentions."

"What about baseball? Edd asked nervously. Nazz's smile fell and she looked away. Apprehension filled Ed, his stomach churning sickeningly.

"Two weeks suspension," She told him solemnly. She knew just as well as Edd did how much baseball meant to Kevin. "But he still gets to keep his position as captain. If it makes you feel any better, Ryan got kicked off the team. Kev said it was his third offense so he got dismissed. Seems he has a history of being an ass."

Edd gave her a halfhearted smile before he turned back around to face the front. He felt horrible. This was all his fault. Kevin now had a strike against his baseball record and he was suspended, and Edd didn't even want to think about the trouble Kevin was probably in with his parents right now. What was quite possibly worse than even the guilt was that he didn't even know why Kevin had done all this for him. Why did he care so much? Even when they had all been close, Kevin and Edd had never really interacted one on one, always with the whole gang. Heat rushed to Edd's cheeks as he suddenly remembered Kevin's exact words: _"Nobody bully's my dork except me!"_ He slumped lower in his seat and vowed to apologize to Kevin as soon as he got the chance, trying his best to ignore the unsteady thumping in his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two is finally here! :) This chapter is a little on the boring side and short (sorry!), but I promise the next chapter will be more eventful _and_ longer. I'm not sure when I'll have chapter 3 done, but as soon as I know I'll post it on my tumblr [xXWrittenSinsXx]. Anyways, hope you enjoy :)

* * *

He didn't know why he had done it. Kevin had spent the last two hours asking himself why, but he was no closer to an answer now than he had been in the cafeteria when his voice had left him on its own accord, his body moving into action before he could even think about what he was doing, seizing his fellow teammate and cementing his two week suspension from baseball. All he knew was when he had seen Edd hit the floor, rage had roared through him, filling him until he could think of nothing else, but making the cause pay.

Kevin sighed and slumped further into his couch, depressed once again as he thought about his suspension from baseball. All that work and he had finally made captain, and now he was dangerously close to losing his position as his irate coach had lectured him about for a solid five minutes before his dad had finally arrived to drag him home. And the worst part was he didn't even know _why_ he had done it.

Knocking echoed from the front door and Kevin stood, tossing the remote on the couch next to him. His dad had returned to the factory and wasn't supposed to home until way later as was his mom, not that they would need to knock, and he wasn't expecting anyone else. _Probably Nazz_, Kevin thought as he turned the doorknob. He knew she would definitely have a mouthful to say about the fight. Only, when Kevin swung the door open, it wasn't Nazz who stood on his doorstep.

"Hello Kevin," Edd greeted him a bit nervously, hand raised in greeting.

"Hi," Kevin said automatically, stunned to see the teen. He cleared his throat, which suddenly felt dry. "Do you want to come in?"

"What about your parents?"

"They're at work," Kevin told him, before he turned and led the way inside, not waiting for Edd to answer. "It's just us."

For some reason, the words felt strange as they left Kevin's mouth, bringing a rush of heat to his cheeks. There was a pause and then the door closed quietly behind him, Edd's footsteps following his own.

"I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for you help either," Edd said behind him. "And apologize for the trouble I've caused you."

"Don't mention it," Kevin muttered, cheeks hot. "It's no big deal. Do you want a drink?"

"Water please," Edd answered almost at once, sounding parched himself. Kevin led the way into the kitchen, Edd trailing behind him. He pulled out a glass for Edd and filled it in the sink. He handed it to Edd before he grabbed himself a can of soda from the fridge. They drunk in silence for a few seconds, neither of them looking at each other. Kevin was inspecting a chip in the wall he had never noticed before when Edd suddenly blurted out, "You shouldn't have done that."

Kevin jumped, startled. His mind reeled, flailing to figure out what he had done wrong. Was there something wrong with the water?

"N-Not that I don't appreciate the gesture because I do," Edd continued quickly, pink rising in his cheeks. "It was very honorable of you to stand up for me, but you shouldn't have gone through all that trouble for _me_"

Kevin's eyes narrowed as he realized what Edd was referring to, his grip on his can tightening. The way Edd said "me" as if he was someone unworthy or insignificant _really_ pissed him off.

"A little bullying really doesn't bother me. It's just a factor of adolescence and high school. You know, the old saying 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never—'"

"That's bull-crap!" Kevin interrupted angrily, making Edd jump. "It's not okay for anybody to mess with you, ever. If anybody says or does anything to you again, tell me and I'll take care of it."

Edd stared at him, eyes wide, and then he unexpectedly giggled. Kevin flushed darkly, suddenly incredibly over aware of what he had just said.

"What?" Kevin muttered, feeling foolish.

Edd smiled and said, "It's just, I never expected to hear that from you of all people."

Kevin might've been bothered by his wording, only he barely even heard what Edd had said. The second Edd flashed that gap-toothed smile all else seemed insignificant. Faintly he head himself mumble, "The Cul-de-sac needs to stick together," although he knew that was a lie. If it had been anybody else, except maybe Nazz, he wouldn't have risked his position on the baseball team. It was too important to him and yet, he had done it for Edd.

"Thank you for the water," Edd said, and Kevin realized with a jolt Edd was waiting for him to take the empty cup he held out. "I really must be going. I've got a ton of homework to do."

"Bye," Kevin said, taking the glass.

Edd gave him that smile again, the one that stuck Kevin dumb and made his heart thump unsteadily against his chest, and then, with a goodbye, he turned and left. Kevin watched him go, dazed. He didn't snap out of it until he heard the front door close, signaling Edd was gone. He placed the cup into the sink and leaned heavily against it. That one unanswered question he had suddenly turned into a dozen, one of the biggest being why the sight of Edd's smile made his pulse quicken and rendered him speechless. He thought about for a couple of seconds before he sighed and thought _whatever_. He had never been one to dwell on thoughts. He was more of the take-it-as-you-go type and that was exactly what he planned to do.

xXx

After school Wednesday, Edd found himself on Kevin's doorstep once again, arms full of books and papers as he waited for Kevin to answer. He had taken the liberty to go to all of Kevin's classes and gather the work he had missed for him, a feat made difficult by the fact that he didn't know any of Kevin's classes. He had to ask Nazz, Rolf, and Jonny before he finally managed to piece together redhead's schedule, all of them only knowing one or two classes. Kevin answered after a few seconds and looked just as surprise to see him today as he had yesterday.

"What's all that?" Kevin asked after a pause, eying the bundle in Edd's arms.

"All of the work you missed today," Edd answered promptly. Kevin's expression fell.

"You're joking," Kevin stated. When Edd's expression didn't change, Kevin continued incredulously, "All that in one day?"

Edd nodded very importantly. "Mid-terms are right around the corner, Kevin. You can never be too prepared."

"You don't say," Kevin muttered dead panned, staring at the bundle in Edd's arms as if it was a 1, 000 feet mountain he had just been told to climb.

"I can help you, if you'd like," Edd offered. Kevin finally tore his eyes away from the books to look at Edd and his lip lifted into a hint of a smile. Edd's stomach swooned, but before he could examine the reaction to closely, Kevin nodded and stepped aside for him to come in.

"Yeah, that'd be cool."

Kevin led the way inside and Edd followed him, closing the door behind him. Kevin led him to the living room and motion at the table.

"Put it all there. You want a drink?" Kevin asked.

"Water, if you don't mind."

Kevin headed into the kitchen and Edd took a seat on the floor next to the table, setting everything neatly on the table. He could hear Kevin clinking around in the kitchen. His gaze roamed around the living room. Not much had changed since the few times Edd had been here in the past, except there were some new photos, most featuring Kevin in a baseball uniform, a broad smile on his dirt streaked face. Edd's gaze lingered on a photo of Kevin's parents and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Um, Kevin," Edd called out.

"Yeah?" Kevin called back.

"Won't your parents mind that I'm here?"

"It's fine," Kevin said, appearing through the doorway with two glasses of water and a bag of chips tucked under one arm. He handed a glass to Edd before he took a seat on the ground next to him. "In order to actually ground a kid, you have to be here."

Edd nodded, understanding what he meant well. One thing he and Kevin both shared was a lack of parental supervision, both their parents working long hours and hardly ever home. In the years Edd had known Kevin, he had only seen the redhead's parents a few times, which was even more than Kevin had seen his parents. Edd began listing off all of Kevin's assignments:

"You have to read chapter 18 in your history textbook and answer 25 end of the chapter questions, solve two pages of multiple choice questions in your math textbook, do a packet about how to write a proper thesis for English, and, finally, a packet of multiple choice questions for Chemistry. That's it," Edd summed up with a smile.

"Oh, _that's it_," Kevin muttered sarcastically.

"Hm?" Edd asked, missing his comment.

"Nothing. Let's get started."

They did the math problems first and then the packet for English. By the time they finished the English assignment, Kevin looked like he was seriously considering stabbing his own eye out with his pencil just so he'd have an excuse to stop, so Edd offered to read chapter 18 out loud. Kevin accepted at once, having no desire to read it himself.

As Edd read, Kevin tried to focus on what he was saying, he really did, except every word that came out of the teen's mouth seemed to go right through one ear and out the other. He had never been very good at listening. Instead, his gaze focused on Edd, watching him as he read. Edd's face was animated as he read, as if the textbook was immensely enjoyable, and Kevin smiled slightly, amused. He noticed for the first time that Edd's cyan eyes had flecks of blue around the pupils and the way Edd's nose scrunched up in concentration when he was working. He didn't notice Edd stop reading or teen's gaze lift up, looking at him.

It certainly did not look like the redhead was thinking about History.

"Kevin," Edd prompted. Kevin's gaze immediately snapped to him, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. "Are you listening?"

"Uh, yeah," Kevin said quickly, straightening up. "You were saying something about... economics."

"Yes, considering this is an economics book, I suppose you could say that," Edd said plainly, raising an eyebrow at Kevin. Kevin dropped his gaze sheepishly and forced himself to listen as Edd continued reading. It took them another twenty minutes to finish reading and answering all the questions, mostly because Kevin hadn't absorbed one word of what Edd had read and had to rely on common sense and guess work. By the time they were done with the Chemistry questions, it was almost 5 o'clock.

Edd ended up staying for dinner, accepting Kevin's offer. He sat at the kitchen table, watching as Kevin moved around, making sloppy joe. As he sat there, it dawned on him that this would be the first dinner he had eaten with someone else in a _long_ time—and even longer since someone had cooked dinner for him. His parents were never home in time for dinner and he was usually left to fend for himself. Occasionally, there would be a half-eaten sub or casserole bought during lunchtime or after work left for him by one of his parents, but even that was rare. It was a nice feeling, having someone cook for him, but it was even nicer when Kevin set a plate down in front of him and took a seat across from him with his own plate. It wasn't just eating with someone that made feel warm and happy, it was eating with Kevin.

"Is there something wrong?" Kevin asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, no," Edd said quickly, picking up his fork. He took a bite and grease immediately flooded his mouth—the grease Edd was fairly certain Kevin had forgotten to drain. He swallowed the mouthful and forced a smile. "It's delicious."

"Good," Kevin said, relieved.

Edd forced away all thoughts of how bad this meal was for his health and ate. It really was good once he got past the unhealthy factor. They ate for a few moments in silence and then Edd finally summoned up the courage to ask the question that had been pestering his mind since yesterday.

"Why did you stand up for me?" Edd asked before he could lose the courage. He still didn't why and it was frustrating him to no end. He knew Kevin had told him something about the cul-de-sac sticking together, but somehow Edd didn't believe that. He highly doubted Kevin would've done the same for Ed or Eddy. "Why take that risk for me?"

Kevin looked away from him and scratched the back of his neck, red rising in his cheeks. It looked almost like he was... _blushing_.

"I don't know," Kevin admitted after a long pause, eyes on his plate. He poked at his food with his fork for a few seconds and then his fork paused halfway through another poke. "But I do know I'd do the same again."

Edd absorbed this thoughtfully. He considered asking Kevin more, but if the redhead said he didn't know, there was no use interrogating him, so he just accepted it with a nod although he really didn't  
understand it at all—and he hated not understanding something.

They talked about miscellaneous things as they ate; the Chemistry test Kevin had tomorrow, a new movie out in theaters they were both dying to see, and any other topic that popped in their heads until dinner was finished and Edd finally stood to go home. This time Kevin walked him to the door before they said goodbye and Edd left for his house across the street, feeling happier and more content than he has felt in a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

Normally, Edd was very diligent in school, and yet today he couldn't focus on one word his teachers said. By the time lunch rolled around, he hadn't written down a single note, something completely unheard of for him. Every time he came close to paying attention, something reminded him of Kevin —a student with a baseball cap, a sports jersey, amarker—and then he remembered the reason that kept him craning his head while walking down the hallways, looking although he had never seen the redhead in the hallways any other day: Kevin returned to school today. When it finally came time for lunch where Edd knew he'd see Kevin, Edd was brimming with excitement, although he couldn't quite understand why.

As he walked into the cafeteria, tray clutched tightly in his hands, he was careful to watch where he was walking. He did not want a repeat of Tuesday. He took a seat at an empty table and briefly pulled his thoughts away from Kevin long enough to wonder if anybody would be joining him today. Yesterday, only one of the people he normally sat with joined him—since the incident with Ryan, his acquaintances seem to find him more of risk to be around than it was worth—and today that person was absent. Edd didn't worry about it too long, too busy watching the table Kevin usually sat at for a glimpse of the redhead. He didn't notice the chair next to him pull out until a tray was set next to his with a loud clatter, making him jump. He turned to find Eddy smirking at him.

"What's got you so distracted, Sockhead?" Eddy asked as he took the seat. There was a knowing teasing to his voice, but before Edd could question it, Ed took the seat next to Eddy.

"Won't the people you normally sit with mind?" Edd asked, taken aback. The three of them hadn't sat in lunch together since... Ed couldn't even remember when.

"Nah," Eddy said carelessly. "They're all boring anyways. Jesus Ed, where's your tray?"

Ed's tray was piled with food, the blue cafeteria tray nearly completely covered from view. Ed mumbled something incoherent around a mouthful of food, causing bits to fall out, and both Eddy and Edd made a disgusted expression.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full Ed," Edd scolded him.

Ed looked at Edd in chagrin, cheeks bulging with food, just as Rolf and Jonny appeared, taking the seats next to Ed.

"You look like a chipmunk," Jonny told him with a laugh.

"Hello, Ed-boys," Rolf said cheerfully, before his gaze went over Edd's head. "Ah, and Nazz!"

Nazz took the seat next to Rolf and greeted them all with a smile. Jimmy and Sarah joined them not long after. Edd watched, stunned, as the table filled in all around him, leaving only one empty seat left directly to his right. They had never all sat together in lunch in their time at high school. Edd was so completely surprised, he forgot about Kevin for the first time that day. He was laughing along with the rest of the table at something Eddy had said when the chair beside him was pulled out and he turned to look, smile still on his face.

"What's so funny?" Kevin asked as he slid into the seat, setting his tray on the table. He glanced at Edd, who suddenly couldn't remember what they were laughing about or how to breathe as that curious, excited tingle in his stomach suddenly grew into full-grown butterflies at the sight of Kevin. It was Nazz who answered, finally pulling Kevin's light green gaze away from Edd. Edd released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, his heart beating unsteadily against his chest.

"Hey, guys," Nazz called out, earning everyone's attention. "My parents are going to visit my aunt for the weekend. I was thinking we could have like a bonfire Friday night. You guys in?"

All around the table everyone pitched in their yes. Edd hesitated for a moment, thinking of all the homework he knew he'd have this weekend and the calculus test Monday he had planned on dedicating this weekend to studying for, but when everyone's questioning eyes landed on him, all thoughts about school work was wiped away as he said yes, smile appearing on his face. He didn't notice Kevin's gaze on him before the redhead voiced that he was in as well. The rest of lunch was filled with smiles and laughter. Edd smiled more than he had in a long time and when Eddy, never one to sit still and not cause mischief, began pelting peas at unsuspecting students, Edd forgot to lecture him on how inappropriate it was, too busy laughing with the rest of the table.

:::

The fire roared softly in the fading twilight, filling the air with the peaceful, smoky scent of burning wood. The chilly breeze was kept abated by the warmth of the fire and snug hoodies. Kevin was watching Rolf add another log to the already dangerously high flames when Nazz joined him, slim hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate for warmth.

"So..." Nazz began slowly, blowing on her hot chocolate as she glanced at Kevin. "When are you going to ask Double D out?"

Kevin flushed darkly, startled, and stammered out, "W-What?"

Nazz laughed at his reaction, eyes glowing with amusement. "Come on, Kev, did you really think I wouldn't notice you crushing on Double D?" She asked. "It's so obvious, man. Everyone knows—everyone except Double D that is, who, for all his intelligence, is really dense when it comes to _that—_What?"

Kevin could only stare at Nazz, mouth open stupidly as he grappled for words, too stunned to come up with any. Nazz's eyes widened with realization.

"Don't tell me you didn't know? How could you not know you like someone? That's a whole new level of stupidity, even for you Kev," Nazz said, earning a glare from Kevin at the insult. Nazz rolled her eyes and continued, "How many people would you deck one of your own teammates for and risk your position on the baseball team? You love baseball almost as much as you love your bike."

Kevin couldn't deny it. As much as he wanted to tell her she was wrong just for the satisfaction of wiping that smug, knowing look off her face, he knew it would be a lie. She was right. He _was_ crushing on Edd, and hard; He just hadn't put a label on all those feelings Edd brought out of him, hadn't known what to think of them until now—this was _Edd_, the same dork he had picked on when he was younger, and a guy, and Kevin had been pretty damn sure he was straight. But now that Nazz spelled it out for him, there was no denying that he had feelings for the teen.

"What makes you so sure the dork will accept anyways?" Kevin muttered finally, heat rushing to his cheeks. Nazz grinned broadly at the open admission of his feelings.

"Girl's intuition," She told him, eyes twinkling with amusement and that knowing look again.

Kevin didn't respond, his gaze going over to the other side of the yard where Edd stood, sipping hot chocolate and watching the fire, looking so happy and content, lips curved up into a hint of a smile. As he watched him, Kevin's heart shivered in his chest, a wave of affection and fondness washing through him. He had fallen hard.

Edd watched the fire, enjoying the warmth of the flames, and oblivious to Kevin's gaze on him. He loved this, being with the gang again, having a bonfire with everyone, the air filled with cheerfulness. It made him feel like a small, little fire had been lit inside him as well, filling him with warmth and happiness. He didn't notice the two people approaching him from behind, lost in his thoughts and the flames, until an arm snagged him around his neck, startling him so badly he dropped his hot chocolate.

"Bet I know what you're so happy about," Eddy said smugly, smirking at something across the yard Edd couldn't see from the headlock Eddy had him in. Edd struggled against his grip with an indignant yell of, "Eddy!" until Eddy finally released him and Edd turned to face both him and Ed.

"You made me drop my hot chocolate," Edd said crossly.

"Forget about the hot chocolate," Eddy said impatiently, waving his words away, before he gave Edd a smirk, a look in his eyes Edd really didn't like. "More importantly, when are you and shovel-chin going to stop beating around the bush and date already?"

Edd flushed a brilliant shade of red, heat rushing to his face. "W-What are you—" He squeaked out, voice higher than normal, but Eddy cut him off, rolling his eyes.

"Please, Double D, it's so obvious you're hot for Kevin," Eddy said, causing Edd to turn even darker, scandalized. "Although I can't understand _why_," Eddy finished in a mutter, pulling a disgusted face at the idea of anybody liking Kevin.

"I-I don't—" Edd began, but then realizing he couldn't honestly say that, he changed mid-stammer, "K-Kevin would never have feelings for me. He likes Nazz—"

"You're joking, right?" Eddy said, incredulous. When he saw that Edd was not joking, he rolled his eyes. "Kevin hasn't so much as glanced at Nazz like that since junior high and even then that was only when he wasn't too busy making googly eyes at his precious bike."

Edd opened his mouth, but before he could saying anything, Sarah's voice yelled across the yard, "I found the hotdogs! Let's eat!"

"I'm telling you, Kevin's got it bad for you Double D," Eddy said, patting him on the back, and then he left to join everyone around the fire.

"Eddy's right, Double D," Ed said, and Edd jumped, having forgotten he was there. "You should have more confidence in yourself."

With that, Ed followed Eddy, shouting excitedly about hotdogs. Edd stared after them, too stunned to move. He had never thought he lacked confidence. He was just realistic, and statistics and facts say jocks do not end up with "dorks," to use Kevin's own word. And yet, as Edd finally followed after them, a seed of hope began to grow inside him that maybe Kevin did like him. It wasn't until Edd had joined everyone around the fire and was spearing a hotdog on a stick to roast over the fire that it occurred to him that he had unknowingly accepted having feelings for Kevin that he hadn't even known he had. He looked across the fire to where Kevin sat, roasting a hotdog. Did he have feelings for him?

Then, Kevin looked up.

His light green eyes met Edd's cyan and time seemed to stand still for a second, Edd's breath catching in his throat and his heart skipping in his chest, and then they both abruptly looked away and it was broken. Edd's heart thumped unsteadily in his chest, warmth rushing to his cheeks, and he knew it was true: he had feelings for Kevin.

"Dude, what the hell is that?" Kevin asked, and Edd looked up to see him looking at Rolf beside him, who was roasting a chunk of questionable looking meat over the fire.

"Cow liver," Rolf told him as casually as one would say hotdogs. Kevin gagged in disgust and leapt to his feet, stumbling away from Rolf. Edd giggled, earning Kevin's attention, and color rushed to Kevin's cheeks. Kevin looked at him for a second, as if debating something, before he began walking over to him. Edd watched as Kevin took a seat next to him without a word, cheeks pink, and resumed roasting his hotdog. Edd turned his own gaze back to the fire, biting down a smile as that seed of hope inside him grew along with these new feelings for Kevin.

"Alright," Nazz said, earning everyone's attention. She grinned. "Time for ghost stories. Who's first?"

"Oh, me! Me!" Ed said at once, hand shooting eagerly into the air. Ed's love for horror movies and comics had only grown with age.

Nazz giggled. "Then, Ed first."

Ed began his story, voice low and the fire casting shadows on his face. Everyone leaned closer to hear him, everyone except Edd. Edd scared easily when it came to horror stories and movies. Logic and reason seemed to flee the second fear set in, making him imagine things in the dark he knew logically didn't exist. As Ed's story reached its brain-eating zombies climax, Edd pressed unconsciously closer to the nearest person next to him: Kevin.

Kevin glanced at Edd, catching the teen shifting closer out of the corner of his eyes, and an amused smile appeared on his face when he saw how scared the teen looked. All Kevin could think when he looked at him was, _adorable_. A loud clack suddenly shot through the air like a gunfire and everyone jumped. Edd plastered himself against Kevin's side, clutching him tightly, eyes squeezing shut. He was trembling with fear and Kevin automatically wrapped his arm around him without conscious consent as he looked around for the source of the noise, finding it almost at once. Eddy burst into laughter, clutching two rocks in his hand.

"You should've seen your faces!" Eddy chocked out between laughs.

Realization dawned on everyone. Sarah growled Eddy's name angrily as she helped Jimmy, who had fallen out of his seat, up. Everyone else joined in the laughter, everyone except Kevin and Edd, both of whom were suddenly incredible over aware of their position. They abruptly pulled apart, flushing darkly.

"Sorry," Edd squeaked out, looking anywhere, but at Kevin as embarrassment flooded through him.

"'S fine," Kevin mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. He silently hoped nobody had noticed, but he knew as soon as he saw the broad grin Nazz sent him from across the fire, she at least had.

Kevin and Edd avoided looking at each for the rest of the night, both of them too embarrassed. When it grew late and everyone began yawning, Jimmy suggest going to bed and everyone agreed, sleepy-eyed. They gathered their sleeping bags and made themselves comfortable around the dying fire. It was the perfect night to sleep outside, cool, but not too cold the warmth of their sleeping bags didn't ward off the cold. Edd laid awake in his sleeping even as Ed and Eddy fell asleep on either side of him. He couldn't stop thinking about Kevin, something he hadn't managed to do for longer than a few minutes here and there all day. He could still feel Kevin's arm around him, warm and comforting.

Edd wasn't the only one having a hard time falling asleep. Kevin stared unseeingly up at the stars, barely even noticing Rolf's loud snoring next to him. Try as he might to sleep, he couldn't get Edd out of his head, the rush of satisfaction and affection he had felt when Edd chose to cling to _him_ out of fear; the sudden urge to protect and comfort when Edd's smaller, thinner body pressed into his, trembling and fragile. Kevin released a sigh and closed his eyes, knowing sleep wouldn't come for a long time. When it finally did, his dreams were filled with a certain ski hat wearing teen with a gap-toothed smile that could reduce him to a puddle of goo.

Edd slipped asleep without noticing, his thoughts merging into dreams of Kevin, of Kevin's arms wrapped around him, of them together, smiling and laughing. His blissful dreams were cut short as he became conscious of something warm and strong pressed against his cheek, his fingers buried in something soft. He opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight that immediately assaulted him. As his eyes adjusted he realized just what that something was, only it wasn't something, it was _someone_.

Kevin.

Edd stared at the redhead's sleeping face only inches from his, mind still moving sluggishly slow from sleep. It was Kevin's shoulder Edd's cheek was pressed against and Kevin's shirt Edd clenched in his left hand. He could feel Kevin's warmth through the sleeping bag, his body curled on its side against Kevin's. At first, Edd was too bewildered to react. It didn't make sense. He hadn't been anywhere near Kevin when he had fallen asleep. His sleeping bag had been between Ed and Eddy's on the other side of the fire from Kevin's. That's when he became aware of the barely suppressed snickers. Edd abruptly scrambled away from Kevin and to his feet, turning to find everyone standing a little ways away, watching them. Edd flushed darkly and they all burst into laughter, leaning against each other. Eddy laughed harder than any of them and it was him Edd glared at, knowing full well it was probably Eddy he had to thank for this little scheme. Before he could say anything though, a groan came from behind him.

"What time is it?" Kevin asked as he woke up, yawning. He stretched and climbed to his feet before he noticed everyone laughing and Edd's scarlet face. He looked between everyone and Edd, bewildered. "What's so funny?"

Everyone laughed even harder. Kevin looked at Edd for an answer, but Edd looked away from him, unable to look at him as every visible inch of his skin reddened further. He was going to kill Eddy.

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I know I said this chapter was going to be a lot longer, but it didn't turn out quite as long as I thought it was going to. It's still longer though! :) I apologize for the long wait; I've been really busy the last week. I hope you guys enjoyed this chap. I made sure to include some more KevEdd fluff ;) For updates/future fanfics info follow me on Tumblr: xXWrittenSinsXx


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four is up! This chap is the shortest out of all of them, but to make up for it I'll be posting chapter five either tomorrow or the next day. I actually had a lot of difficulty writing this chapter. It's completely different than I orginally planned, but every time I tried writing the original idea I kept getting stuck to the point to where it was incredibly vexing, so I came up with a different idea. I might work my other idea into a one-shot or something... Hmm... Anyways, I apologize for any errors. I wanted to get this up by tonight, so I didn't have time to check it.

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It was beautiful outside. The sun shone high in the bright sky, its sweltering heat canceled out by a nice, cool breeze; The perfect weather for the beach. After leaving Nazz's house, they all headed home and changed into their bathing suits, meeting up again at the swimming hole. They were in the middle of playing volleyball, Kevin just about serve, when he caught sight of Edd arriving out of the corner of his eyes, and all else disappeared. The ball slipped through his fingers, landing in the sand with a soft thud. Edd was wearing black swimming shorts that came to his knees, the same type as Kevin's, and yet, on Edd, they looked completely different. The baggy shorts hung off his small hips, looking tantalizingly close to falling off, and the black contrasted nicely against Edd's pale skin. And he was shirtless.

"Hey, earth to Kevin!" Nazz's voice cut through his daze and he jolted back to reality to find them all looking at him, including now, Edd. Nazz smirked knowingly at him as she continued, "If you aren't too busy admiring the scenery, would you mind serving already?"

Kevin flushed darkly and picked up the volleyball. He served and the game continued. Even while playing however, Kevin couldn't help glancing occasionally at Edd, who had taken a seat on the sidelines next to Jimmy. He also couldn't help suddenly wanting to show off now that he knew Edd was watching. He picked up his game, going all out now. The other team didn't stand a chance. Baseball might be Kevin's best sport, but he was naturally good at _all_ sports. In a matter of minutes, he brought the game to an end, 21 to 2.

"That was exceptional Kevin!" Edd complimented him.

Kevin grinned broadly. "It was nothing—"

"Come on you two, let's swim!" Jonny interrupted, already running towards the water himself, Plank in hand.

"Like little fishies!" Ed added, laughing loudly as he splashed into the water after Jonny. Kevin and Edd joined them, shivering as they walked into the cool water. They played with beach ball for a little while, but it wasn't long before Eddy got bored and, without warning, decided to splash Sarah. It was like waving red in front of a bull. Sarah immediately launched into a vicious splash retaliation, catching both Nazz and Rolf in the crossfire. Before long, everyone was splashing each other except Kevin and Edd; Even Jonny was having a splash fight with Plank.

Kevin glanced at Edd, who was watching everyone with a smile, not paying the slightest attention to him, and a smirk formed on Kevin's face. He swiped his hand into the water and splashed Edd full in the face, taking the teen completely by surprise. Kevin burst into laughter when he saw Edd's startled expression, water dripping off his nose. Surprise fading, Edd began to smile and he retaliated, splashing Kevin back. The splashed each other back and forth, both of them laughing and completely forgetting about the others. Kevin moved to back away from a splash, but his footing slid out beneath him and he sailed forward. Edd barely had time to squeak in surprise before Kevin slammed into him, knocking them both under the water. Edd scrambled under the water in a moment of blind panic, Kevin's weight on top of him preventing him from being able to get a foothold, but then Kevin caught him around his waist and pulled him up with him. They broke the surface and Edd immediately sucked in all the air that had been knocked out of him.

"I'm so sorry, Double D. Are you okay?" Kevin asked, and Edd raised his head to look at him, ready to reassure him that he was fine, but all words stuck in his throat when he saw how close Kevin was. Their faces were only inches apart, bodies even less, and Kevin's arm was still holding him around the waist, as if worried he'd fall over—and he very nearly did, his knees buckling at the proximity between them.

"I-I assure you I'm fine," Edd stammered out, voice too high and squeaky as heat rushed to his face. Kevin noticed and Edd watched his eyes widen with realization, his heart slamming painfully against his ribs now, the sound filling his ears. Only, Kevin didn't pull away. Their eyes met, light green meeting cyan, and neither of them moved for a moment. Then, Kevin inched forward.

"Eddy, stop hogging the ball!" Sarah's loud mouth cut through the air and immediately the trance was shattered. Kevin reflexively shoved Edd away, sending him falling into the water for a second time, only this time, Kevin didn't help him. By the time Edd regained his footing and rubbed the water out of his eyes, Kevin had joined the others, merging into their game as smoothly as if they hadn't just almost kissed. After a few moments, Edd joined them as well, being careful to move around to the other side, away from Kevin. Ed gasped dramatically when he saw him.

"Double D, you're all sunburned!" Ed exclaimed, catching Edd's face in his hands and squishing it. Edd could feel himself turning even darker in embarrassment and he tried to pull his face away from Ed's grasp, but Ed's was having too much fun squishing his cheeks together, sunburn forgotten.

"Ed, I wealy muth inthith you releathe me thith inthtant," Edd protest, his words coming out a slurred mess. Ed only laughed and continued squishing his face until the beach ball suddenly smashed into his face, forcing him to release Edd. Edd turned just in time to see Kevin straightening up from the throw, his eyes narrowed and his face red with anger. Before Edd could think too much about it, the beach ball suddenly smacked him upside his head and he glared accusingly at Ed, but Ed pointed behind him and he turned to see Eddy snickering.

The stayed at the beach until around lunch time and then everyone slowly began heading home for lunch. As Edd left with Ed and Eddy, he couldn't help glancing back at Kevin, who was reclining on his towel, not looking like he was planning to leave anytime soon. Had Kevin really been about to kiss him, or was it just wishful thinking?

Kevin had fully intended to kiss Edd. As he laid on his towel, staring unseeingly up at the sky, he replayed the scene over and over in his head. He imagined what would've happened if he had kissed him, watched it play out in his head—the feeling of Edd's lips against his, his small body curved into his, the possible developments it could've led to—and kicked himself for not doing it. He had chickened out, had run away. Kevin's eyes narrowed. He was not the type to run away from anything.

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For update info/future story info follow me on tumblr: xXWrittenSinsXx


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five is here! :) Hope you guys enjoy ~

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Knocking echoed through Edd's house, startling him out of another daydream featuring a certain redhead. Since waking up—and admittedly before that in his dreams—his thoughts had been filled with all things Kevin, his mind insisting on reliving that moment at the beach every few seconds. Edd blushed and stood to answer the door, his Calculus book lying abandoned on his desk. Too busy freeing his thoughts of Kevin, Edd didn't wonder who was at his door until he was turning the knob and it occurred to him suddenly that both Ed and Eddy had locked themselves up at Eddy's house for a monster movie marathon, an invitation Edd had turned down in hopes of studying for his AP Calculus test tomorrow. If it wasn't Ed or Eddy, then who—

The door opened and Edd forgot how to breathe.

"Hey," Kevin greeted him, a hand jumping up to scratch the back of his neck.

"Hello," Edd replied automatically, mind still reeling at Kevin's sudden appearance. What was Kevin doing here? Edd waited for Kevin to explain, but the redhead seemed to be debating something silently with himself, his hands in his pockets as he rocked on his feet. After a few seconds, Kevin abruptly looked at Edd, causing Edd's heart to skip in his chest. There was a new glint in Kevin' eyes; he looked almost determined.

"Are you free right now?"

No, Edd wasn't free. He still had to study for that AP Calculus test, the one he had put off studying for since Friday so he could hangout with the gang, the one he had turned down Ed and Edd's offer for—and yet, right then, Edd wasn't thinking about his AP Calculus test. The reason he didn't respond wasn't because he didn't know how to turn him down; it was because he was too stunned and dazed to. Kevin wanted to hang out with _him_.

"I thought we could go to the movies," Kevin continued when Edd didn't say anything. With every passing second that went by without Edd saying anything, Kevin looked more and more uncomfortable. It occurred to Edd suddenly that Kevin actually looked _nervous_—but that was impossible, wasn't it? "If you want, I mean. If you're busy, it's no big deal. I'll just—"

"I'd love to," Edd interrupted, finally finding his voice. Red pooled in his cheeks as Kevin looked at him and then Kevin smiled at him, a small, almost relieved looking, crooked grin that sent Edd's heart into convulsions.

"Cool," Kevin said. His gaze traveled down, taking in Edd's appearance, and the redhead went rigid, light green eyes wide. Edd flushed darkly, realizing with a jolt he was wearing his casual, around the house clothes, which consisted today of a baggy pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt that read _'I Heart Science'_ complete with a little heart icon where the word heart should be.

"I'll go change!" Edd said quickly, his voice a pitch higher than normal in his embarrassment. He quickly turned away from Kevin, missing the way the redhead's face went up in flames. "You may wait in the living room, if you'd like."

All Kevin could managed was a nod, a hand pressed against his mouth. He had not been prepared for that blow. His heart pounded fiercely against his ribs, refusing to be silenced. Thankfully, Edd didn't seem to notice his reaction. He led him to the living room quickly, promised to be quick, and then he all, but bolted upstairs, his ears glowing scarlet. Kevin watched him go with a smile, before he began looking around the living room interestedly. Now that he thought about it, he didn't remember ever actually being in Edd's living room. The living room was, of course, perfectly neat, and, Kevin noticed with an amused smile, labeled. Along with labels on everything, there were also sticky notes. Kevin read one stuck to the TV: _Don't watch too much television. It rots the brain. — Love Mom. _Another stuck to the lamp read: _Don't forget to turn off all the lights before going to bed. — Love Dad._ Further inspection revealed all the sticky notes were similar to them, containing short reminders you'd give a child, not a senior in high school, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that they _only_ contained reminders and chores—there were no sticky notes just reminding Edd how happy they were to have him as a son or how much they miss seeing him with their busy work schedules. The closest that came to affection was their signatures, _'Love Mom/Dad'. _

There was only one picture of Edd's parents in the living room, sitting on a side table. Kevin barely recognized them, having only seen them a couple times despite having lived across the street from them for years. There was another picture next to theirs and it was their Kevin's gaze settled, a smile tugging at his lips. Smiling up at him with the same gap-toothed smile he had now was Edd as a toddler, wearing a pair of overalls and the same hat he always wore. Kevin lifted up the frame and inspected it closer, wondering not for the first time what was under that hat. He vowed to find out someday as he set the frame back down.

Looking around the living room had successfully managed to calm Kevin down a little. By the time he heard footsteps announcing Edd's return, his heart no longer felt like it was going to burst out of his chest and he had managed to regain control of most of his nerves. He had told himself he wasn't running away anymore. It was time to go for it, nerves and worries aside.

Edd had traded his outfit for a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a white short-sleeve dress shirt, and a cream colored argyle sweater vest and Kevin's heart still skipped in his chest at the sight of him; It didn't matter what Edd wore. He'd still look adorable.

"Ready?" Kevin asked, willing any redness to leave his cheeks. Edd nodded and they headed outside. Kevin led the way, but Edd abruptly stopped following him halfway when he saw what was waiting for them in his driveway. Kevin noticed and turned to look at him.

"We're not taking that right?" Edd asked feebly, pointing at the motorcycle in his driveway. He should've foreseen this. After all, Kevin hardly went anywhere without his motorcycle.

"Of course we are," Kevin said. Edd didn't budge, still looking at the motorcycle reproachfully. Kevin rolled his eyes and rummaged inside the small storage compartment. He pulled out a helmet which he held out towards Edd. "It's fine, Double Dork. I even brought you a helmet."

Edd looked at the helmet for a few seconds before he finally crossed the distance between them against every fiber of his being and took it. He put it on with trembling hands as he prattled on nervously, "Did you know motorcyclist are 35 times more likely to experience a deadly accident on the road than those in passenger cars?"

Kevin rolled his eyes and stepped close to him, taking the buckle from Edd's fumbling fingers and buckling it for him. "You'll be fine. I wouldn't let you ride it if it wasn't safe."

_That_ silenced Edd long enough for Kevin to put on his own helmet and take a seat on the motorcycle. For some reason, hearing Kevin say that sent a surge of happiness through him, the same surge of happiness that had filled him when Kevin had stood up for him against Ryan. It was because of those words and the fact that Edd did trust Kevin to keep him safe, that he took a seat on the motorcycle behind without further protest.

"Hold on tight," Kevin instructed him, voice slightly muffled by the helmet. Edd tried to get a grip on the seat and Kevin continued, a smirk playing in his voice, "I meant, hold on tight to me."

"Oh," Edd squeaked. He was secretly pleased that the helmet hid most of his face as he hesitantly placed his hands on Kevin's waist, knowing his face must be scarlet.

"Keep your feet up," Kevin told him, and there was something different in his tone now, a softness Edd couldn't place. Then, Kevin started the bike. The rumble of the engine tore through the air, and Edd flinched and plastered himself against Kevin's back, wrapping his arms tightly around him as he squeezed his eyes shut. Eyes closed, he didn't notice Kevin look back at him or the fond smile that appeared on the redhead's face.

Kevin pulled out of the driveway and began driving. Driving was smoother than Edd had thought it would be and as the wind picked up, the harsh roar of the engine softened into a less deafening rumble that Edd could feel vibrating through him. After a few moments, Edd hesitantly opened his eyes. Houses and cars flew by them, rushes of colors and scenery, and Edd could feel himself slowly relaxing as he realized this wasn't that bad at all. He could feel the wind slipping through his clothes and brushing against his exposed skin, but the warmth of Kevin in front of him fought off the chill of the wind. This was actually quite nice, Edd decided. He loosened his grip on Kevin enough that he wasn't plastered against the redhead's back, but he still kept a firm grip on his waist.

The movie theater was only a couple of blocks away from the Cul-de-sac. They could've walked, but Edd knew Kevin liked to ride his motorcycle every chance he got. He had never thought he'd see Kevin love something more than his bicycle, but then, on his seventeenth birthday after months of saving every penny he got, this had rolled into his driveway. That might've been the happiest Edd had ever seen Kevin, who had spent weeks boasting to everyone who would listen about his new motorcycle and would clean it obsessively nearly every day so that the scarlet red paint job always shone brightly.

When they got to the movies, Kevin insisted Edd pick out the movie, but there really wasn't anything Edd wanted to see—he hardly watched television and didn't pay much attention to new movies coming out—so he picked the movie Kevin kept eyeballing. Judging by the movie poster, it was an action movie that would be filled with senseless violence and explosions; Not Edd's type of movie, but it was worth it when he saw the way Kevin's expression brightened when he suggested it. Kevin paid for the tickets, refusing to accept any money from Edd. All he said when Edd argued was, "I invited you, so it's my treat."

They still had some time before the movie so Kevin suggested getting something to eat. They walked to a fast-food burger joint three buildings down from the movie theater. Again, Kevin insisted on paying and refused Edd's money. Edd had refrained from protesting in front of the cashier, who was watching them with an odd little amused smile, but when they took a seat at a table, Edd felt the need to bring it up.

"It really isn't necessary for you to pay for me," Edd began, but Kevin cut him off.

"Look, I just feel like paying, okay?" Kevin muttered. Edd opened his mouth, but his words caught in his throat when he saw Kevin's expression. The redhead looked frustrated, as if there was something Edd didn't understand, and then, suddenly, it hit Edd like a ton of bricks, knocking the air out of him. For the first time, it occurred to Edd that this might be a date. Was this a date? He was admittedly rather clueless when it came to dating, but food and the movies, that certainly sounded like a date, and he knew it was typically proper protocol for guys to pay for girls on dates—not that Edd fancied himself the girl in any relationship, but genders aside, wasn't that what Kevin was doing?

There were too many maybes, so Edd kept silent. It was completely possible this was just two friends hanging out and he was reading too far into it, letting his hopes get the better of him. Still, Edd stopped insisting on paying and instead began eating. Kevin looked relieved as he began eating his own burger. They ate mostly in silence, Edd suddenly completely unable to think of anything to talk about as the word _date_ kept swirling through his thoughts. What's more, he was suddenly incredibly overconscious of _everything_ now. Kevin seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as well. Little did Edd know, Kevin's thoughts also consisted of the word _date_, however his were focused on ways to stress that this _was_ a date. He was starting to get the horrible feeling that Edd didn't realize it was.

After they were done eating, they began the walk back to the movies. Kevin had decided that the only way to get the point across that he intended for this to be a date was to do something obvious and so, as the excited the burger joint, Kevin summoned up his courage and reached out.

Edd jumped when felt fingers brush his hand and he looked down just in time to watch Kevin's fingers slip between his and close. For a second, Edd was too stunned to react and then, he hesitantly closed his own hand, locking their hands together. His heat thudded unsteadily against his chest as he faced forward and kept walking. They were holding hands; There was no doubt about that. And while Edd knew _some_ friends did hold hands on occasion, they weren't that type of friends and Edd seriously doubted Kevin held hands with _any_ of his friends, not that Edd did either. So, if they weren't friends right now, what were they?

They held hands until Kevin had to give the tickets to the ticket taker standing outside the theater, breaking the contact to pull the tickets out of his pockets. Kevin didn't try to hold his hand again as they walked inside, which Edd was grateful for because he didn't think his heart, pounding loudly against his chest, could take much more hand holding. They took a seat in the middle of the theater, which was relatively empty, not that Edd was surprised. The movie poster had said the movie had come out a couple of weeks ago. The previews began and the theater darkened, and with the darkness came a whole different type of awareness of Kevin. It didn't make sense because Edd could hardly even see Kevin now compared to before and yet, something had changed with the darkness, something so subtle Edd might not've noticed if it had been anyone other than Kevin. That unsteady pulsing that had been racing through him ever since Kevin had appeared on his doorstep suddenly turned to electricity in his veins.

By the time the movie was over, Edd couldn't have told you what it was about. It was all he could do to remember to breathe, no less watch and actually absorb a movie. He walked out of the movie theater with a dazed feeling, as if he had just stepped out of a dream or a cloud. The cool air was welcomed against Edd's heated skin.

"Did you like the movie?" Kevin asked as they walked to the motorcycle.

"Oh, yes. It was very good," Edd lied, because as much he hated lying, there was no way he could tell Kevin the truth—that he had been too aware of him to actually watch the movie.

"Good," Was all Kevin murmured, and then they got on the motorcycle and began the ride home. There was something different about the ride home. Edd was nervous for a completely different reason, but that wasn't it. He was also inexplicably happy, and maybe that was why as they drove he leaned just a little bit closer to Kevin, held just a little bit tighter to him.

Kevin parked his motorcycle at his own house and walked with Edd across the street to his house. During the walk, they said nothing. The sun was setting on the horizon, the sky a brilliant blend of reds and oranges and pinks. When they reached his doorstep, Edd turned to face Kevin. They stood their for a few moments, neither of them speaking, and then, Edd summoned the courage to ask the question that had been burning in his mind since the burger joint.

"Excuse me if I'm being presumptuous," Edd began, doing his best to ignore the head rushing to his cheeks as he glanced off to the side, unable to meet Kevin's eyes. "But was this... a date?"

Kevin didn't answer and for a horrible moment Edd thought he had been wrong. Then, he heard a soft sigh that sounded almost like a laugh, and fingers caught his chin, turning his head. Before Edd could even gasp, Kevin's lips were on his, kissing him softly. Edd froze, stunned, but as his surprise faded, he relaxed in the kiss, his eyes slipping close. After a few seconds Kevin pulled away, but he stayed close, face only a breaths away from Edd's.

"Goodnight, Double Dork," Kevin whispered, the old childhood nickname rolling off his tongue with affection, like a term of endearment. Edd shivered as Kevin's breath caressed his lips. Kevin smirked and then he stepped back, the cool breeze immediately rushing in-between them and Edd instantly missed his warmth. Without another word, Kevin turned and headed back across the street to his house.

Edd watched him go for a few moments, dazed and lovestruck, before he snapped out of it enough to walk unsteadily into his house, closing the door softly behind him. He leaned against the door and his fingers went almost wonderingly to his lips, brushing them softly as realization dawned on him. He had just kissed Kevin. A broad grin broke across his face as happiness surged through him, making him feel light and warm and _on top of the world_.

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And finally, you guys got some concrete KevEdd ~ 3 Hope you guys enjoyed this chap ^.^~ If you haven't already, for updates/new story info you can find them on my tumblr: xXWrittenSinsXx. I'm actually working on another short KevEdd story on the side that will be two parts. I'm hoping to have part one up soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six is finally up! I'm sorry for the looong delay. My laptop broke, which caused a whole bunch of issues, but I managed to talk my mom into letting me borrow hers, so I finally got a chance to put this up. I'm getting my laptop the weekend after next, so chapter seven will be posted roughly late June/early July. Hope you guys enjoy this chap. I apologize in advance for any errors. I really wanted to get this posted as soon as possible, so I didn't take the time to reread it .

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Edd had the same morning routine every school day: Wake up at 6:00 _promptly_, shower, brush teeth, dry hair, get dress, eat a nutritional breakfast, and be ready to go by 7:20 exactly. It took him approximately 20 minutes to walk to the high school from his house going at a comfortable pace, so he arrived there at 7:40. That gave him 20 minutes to go to his locker and be in his classroom before the second warning bell rung at 8:00. Every morning Monday thru Friday was exactly the same down to the minute like clockwork—

Except today.

Try as hard as he might to block out yesterday and concentrate, his mind refused to cooperate. Flashbacks of yesterday would resurface at the most inconvenient times, turning a quick task to something that took much longer than necessary. His fifteen-minute shower suddenly turned into a thirty-minute shower spent reliving every second of the date and that kiss in vivid detail. By the time he was ready to go, it was already 7:45, meaning he'd have to run if he had any chance of getting to school on time—and even then the chances were slim. He rushed out of the house without bothering to look up, only to run right into something on his doorstep.

"Whoa, what's the hurry dork?" An all too familiar voice asked, and Edd's heart slammed against his ribs. The kiss flashed across his mind as he looked, heat rushing to his face. Light green eyes met his Cyan and for a second he forgot how to breathe.

"I was wondering if you wanted a ride," Kevin said, scuffing a shoe against the porch. A hand jumped up to scratch the back of his neck as he glanced at Edd from under his hat. "I know you usually walk, so I figured—"

"That would be exceptional!" Edd said immediately, forgetting his nerves as he jumped at a chance to not be late. He could not have tardiness on his record.

"Yeah?" Kevin said, a smirk appearing on his face. "Then, here. You're gonna need this."

Kevin thrust something into Edd's chest and Edd took it automatically, looking down. It was the spare helmet, the same one he had used yesterday. The sight of it only reminded Edd of yesterday and he could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks. He quickly slipped the helmet on before Kevin noticed. This time he managed to buckle it on his own. As he took a seat behind Kevin on the motorcycle, he couldn't help, but wonder about last night. Kevin had yet to say anything about it, or even acknowledge it. Still, he had went out of his way to pick Edd up. That had to be a good sign.

The ride to school was a lot less nerve-racking than Edd's first time on the motorcycle. He was getting used to it—and more pressingly, he was getting used to Kevin's presence so close, the feeling of the redhead's back against his chest giving him a feeling of ease even as his heart continued to pound unsteadily in his chest. Being this close to Kevin on the bike made him feel safe and yet invigorated at the same time.

They arrived at the school with just under ten minutes to spare. As Edd was removing his helmet, he couldn't help, but notice all the looks they were receiving from passing students. They were the same type of looks Edd's new seating arrangements in lunch earned. It dawned on him then how strange it must look to see the two of them riding to school together, jock and nerd on the same motorcycle. Edd glanced at Kevin as they walked inside, but the redhead didn't seem to notice the looks they were receiving. He seemed oddly distracted, his eyes darting side to side as if he was looking for someone. He walked with Edd all the way to his locker, despite the fact that Edd happen to knew Kevin's locker was upstairs on the opposite side of the building, and he lingered there as Edd grabbed his supplies.

"Um Kevin, don't you have to go to your locker?" Edd inquired after a few seconds, pulling Kevin's attention away from scanning the hallway.

"It's fine," Kevin said absently, gaze returning to the hallway. "I'll walk with you to class."

True to his word, Kevin walked with Edd all the way to his fist block, although Edd knew for certain that it was nowhere near Kevin's first class. When they reached the classroom, Kevin finally gave Edd his full attention for the first time since arriving at school, and he smiled.

"See ya, dork. I'll catch you after class," Kevin told him.

"Bye," Edd said automatically, temporarily dazed by his smile. It wasn't until Kevin left, Edd realized what he had said. Why would he 'catch' him after class? Due to their completely different schedules, Edd never rain into Kevin in the hallways.

Edd pondered the meaning of his words until the teacher slapped an AP Calculus test in front of him and for the first time that day—nearly that _week_—all thoughts of Kevin flew out of his mind as his testing mode kicked in. He breezed through the test easily, working to the very last minute just to check and then re-check his answers. As the teacher collected it, he relaxed in his chair, the weight of the test finally off his shoulders after a week of worrying about it. Unfortunately, his relaxation was short-lived. It wasn't long before he was back to pondering Kevin's word choice. Maybe it was just an expression...

It was most certainly _not_ an expression Edd soon found out as he exited his class, only to find a certain redhead leaning against the lockers next to the door, waiting for him. When he saw him, Kevin peeled himself away from the lockers, gave him a quick greeting, and then fell in-step beside him. Just like earlier, they walked in silence and Kevin continued to look around. Edd wanted to ask Kevin why he had waited for him, but somehow he couldn't quite summon up the courage to—and he was half-afraid if he did ask, Kevin would stop. He enjoyed the idea of Kevin waiting to walk with him. He even reveled in the strange looks they received walking together. Like before, it wasn't until they reached Edd's class that Kevin really seemed to look at him, and, giving him that same heart-melting smile, he promised to see him after class before they parted.

As Edd took his seat in AP History, still puzzling over Kevin's behavior, an idea suddenly occurred to him that made his heart stop in his chest. His textbook slipped out of his slackened grip and fell to the ground with a loud clatter, startling him out of his shock. He quickly scrambled to pick it up, heat rushing to his face. Textbook safely on his desk, Edd pressed a hand against his mouth, his heart pounding against his ribs. It was impossible. There was no way. Kevin couldn't possibly think they were dating—

Could he?

Did Kevin think they were dating? _Were_ they dating? That would explain Kevin's odd behavior—isn't walking to class together something couples did? Edd was admittedly inadequate when it came to knowing about couple behavior, but that was the only explanation he could come up with that made sense. Kevin thought they were dating.

The second the bell rang, Edd bolted from the classroom instead of lingering to organize his belongings neatly like he normally did, hoping to avoid Kevin. He even took an alternative route to the gymnasium so he wouldn't run into him. He couldn't face Kevin right now, not with that sudden realization hanging over him. It was too sudden. They had gone on a date sure, but in Edd's defense he hadn't even realized it was a date when he agreed to it—not that he wouldn't have gone otherwise because he would've, he definitely would've, and yet, he still wasn't ready for this sudden serious turn of events. He wasn't ready to be dating Kevin—he had just realized he liked Kevin only days go, for heaven-sake! This was happening too fast and too without Edd's consent. How could he be dating someone without even knowingly agreeing to it?!

As if Edd wasn't already distraught enough, having gym wasn't helping. Gym class already carried enough nauseous feelings of dread without adding his current turmoil on top of it. The locker rooms were empty when Edd walked inside to get changed, which was exactly how he liked them. He was far too modest with his body to change comfortably in front of others, but thankfully, due to his promptness, he was always early and one of the first to enter the locker room. He changed quickly and made his way into the gym.

Due to his distractedness, Edd tripped and face-planted into the ground a total of three times and got hit by the ball multiple times while playing kick-ball. By the time gym was over and Edd made his way into the locker room, he was _not_ happy. He was tired, both mentally and physically, and he was aching everywhere. He couldn't even summon up enough energy to care about changing with other people around as he pulled his clothes on with leaden arms. He didn't notice the gazes on him, or the whispering behind his back as he neatly folded his gym clothes and placed them back into his locker. He also didn't notice the other students quickly filing out at a much faster pace than normal. He closed his locker and turned around—and it wasn't until then he remembered that Ryan was back in school.

And he was in his gym class.

Edd swallowed hard as apprehension prickled through him and he shrunk back instinctively against the lockers. If looks could kill, the one Ryan was currently giving him would not only leave him dead, but beaten beyond recognition. It was clear from the look on his face as he stared down at Edd and the three smirking guys behind him, Edd wasn't walking away from this unscathed. A quick look around confirmed that Edd was alone with Ryan and his gang.

"G-Gentlemen, what can I assist you with?" Edd stammered out, trying and failing to keep his voice steady. The nervous tremor in his voice was crystal clear for everyone to hear and Ryan smirk.

"You can _assist_," Ryan spit out the work mockingly, "with getting me my position on the baseball team back."

"I'm afraid that's out of my power," Edd squeaked out feebly.

"Well, that's just too bad for you," Ryan said, advancing closer. In response, Edd pressed further against the hard lockers, suddenly wishing he had run the second he had seen them. He wasn't fast, but all he had to do was make it into the public eye—

"If you even try running, I'll make sure you can't again."

Edd stilled, a horrible feeling of dread and terror washing through him at the pure malice in Ryan's voice. Edd was used to being bullied. He had a childhood of bullying to reference to. This right here, this wasn't bullying, or at least not the typical stronger student belittles smaller student. Ryan met every word of what he had said. It wasn't just an empty threat to invoke fear, it was a promise, and Edd's heart dropped into his stomach. The look in Ryan's eyes was just shy of murder.

"I'm going to make you regret the day you were born," Ryan vowed, directly in front of Edd now. He slammed a hand against the locker next to Edd and Edd flinched, trembling in fear. His heart pounded painfully against his ribs, moving so quickly he couldn't breathe right, his breaths coming out in unsteady, sharp gasps.

"You cost me my position on the baseball team," Ryan continued. He grabbed the front of Edd's shirt and dragged him upwards until Edd's toes just barely skimmed the floor, the tall teen towering over him. Ryan smirked viciously down at him, a gleam in his eyes that made Edd sick. "Now how should I repay you?"

Edd had do idea what to do, his mind spinning with fear. He had never been this scared in his life. Kevin had bullied him, had threatened to beat him to a pulp, but he had never actually physically hurt him, had never actually looked at him with hatred. Ryan wasn't going to stop with just threatening and Edd was terrified to the core. Ryan brought his fist back, going purposefully slow for Edd to see, and Edd squeezed his eyes closed. He braced himself for the punch, shaking uncontrollably now, his breathing nothing more than a choked, hysterical wheezing.

Ryan's fist collided with the corner of his mouth and jaw. Dizzying, mind-numbing pain exploded through Edd, temporarily disconnecting him from reality. He could taste the coppery taste of blood in his mouth as his head swam with pain, his vision blurring before him; whether it was from the tears swimming in his eyes or his brain rattling against his skull, he couldn't tell.

What happened next was a disorienting blur of movement and yelling. One second, Edd was still pinned against the lockers, Ryan ready to take another swing, and the next, he was on the ground, back up against the lockers, chest heaving. A hand touched his cheek and he flinched away, expecting it to be either Ryan or one of his friends, but when he tuned to look, he was startled to see it was Nazz. For some bizarre reason, the first thought that appeared in Edd's head was: what was Nazz doing in the boy's locker room?

"Can you stand?" Nazz asked, her eyes filled with concern. There was something else there too: anger, more anger than Edd had ever seen in her usually kind eyes. With her help as well as Sarah's and Jimmy's, Edd regained his footing, albeit a little shakily.

"Are you okay, Double D?" Sarah asked him, examining his face.

No, he wasn't okay. His face throbbed painfully and he was still shaking. He felt as if he might be sick at any second, and his throat burned with barely held back tears because suddenly he felt the urge to sob uncontrollably.

And yet, when he opened his mouth, what came out automatically was, "I'm fine."

Sarah made a noise of disbelief and opened her mouth, but her words fell on deaf ears as Edd caught sight of the scene before him over her shoulder. Nazz, Sarah, and Jimmy hadn't come alone. Ed, Eddy, Rolf, and Jonny were there as well, standing over Ryan's three friends, who were slumped on the ground, a mess of bruises and blood. And Kevin was there, pinning Ryan against a locker much like Ryan had pinned himself, except Ryan's face was already covered with bruises and blood. All of his previous cockiness was gone, replaced with fear now that he was at Kevin's mercy. Kevin slammed Ryan hard against the lockers before he released him. Ryan slumped onto the ground. Kevin looked ready to hit him again, his face filled with anger, but instead he clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

"Stay away from him, or else," Kevin said darkly, his voice low and filled with anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

Ryan nodded rapidly, covering his bloody nose with his hand. Kevin stared at him for a second longer, his fists tightening, before he turned away from him, breathing hard. Ryan and his friends immediately seized there chance to bolt from the locker room, nearly tripping over themselves in their hurry. He looked up and his gaze locked with Edd's. The anger in those light green orbs didn't diminish as much as just move to the back as concern took its place. Kevin crossed the short distance between them and Sarah, Nazz, and Jimmy moved out of his way, joining the rest of the gang and giving them some distance.

Kevin looked ready to ask him if he was okay, but then he decided against it. One look at Edd's face was enough of an answer that he _wasn't_ okay and he sure the hell wasn't "fine," although he _was_ closer now that Kevin was here. As Edd looked into Kevin's eyes, he didn't know what he had been so freaked out about. This was Kevin. There was nobody else Edd could possibly want to be with more. Kevin sighed, earning his attention

"I tried to be with you anywhere you could run into him," Kevin said finally. "I didn't know he was in your gym class until Eddy mentioned it. I'm sorry. I should've gotten here sooner."

Edd opened his mouth to assure Kevin this was not his fault in any way, shape, or form, but the words stuck in his throat as Kevin's earlier words registered. Realization dawned on Edd. Kevin hadn't been walking him to his classes on some notion of boyfriend duty, he had been walking him to his classes to protect him in case Ryan tried to mess with him. Heat rushed to Edd's cheeks and he did his best to swallow his embarrassment as he focused on the reality at hand.

"Thank you," Edd said, meaning it with every fiber of his being. There were no words to describe how grateful he was and even as he opened his mouth to try, Kevin cut him off, a smile appearing on his face.

"You don't have to thank me for something like this, dork," Kevin told him. Edd gave him a smile, but it was short-lived as the action brought pain. Kevin must've noticed the pain flicker over his face because he abruptly said, "Come on. We're going to the nurse's office."

Edd opened his mouth to protest, but then Kevin grabbed his hand and he suddenly couldn't remember how to form coherent words.

"You guys can go back to lunch," Kevin told the rest of the gang, and then, without waiting for a response, he pulled Edd out of the locker room.

They walked all the way to the nurse's office like that, Edd's hand held firmly in Kevin's. Kevin didn't let go once, despite the looks they got from passing students. When they arrived at the nurse's office, the nurse immediately swooped in on Edd when she saw his injury. In seconds he was sitting on one of the beds and had a nurse fretting over him. As the nurse attended to his injury, Edd glanced over at Kevin who stood a little ways off to the side. The redhead made no attempt to leave even after the nurse assured him they'd take care of his friend and Edd was secretly glad about that.

"That basketball knocked your jaw pretty good," The nurse remarked as she tended to him. Kevin was responsible for that particular lie. "It's already started to swell a little and it's going to swell quite a bit more within the next hour or so. That'll make eating a bit difficult. You might want to stick with soup for dinner tonight."

She moved away from him and rummaged in a mini-fridge on a side table. She returned with a small bag of ice that she wrapped in paper-towel. She handed it to him.

"Here. Keep ice on it to help the swelling go down. When you get home, take some Advil for the pain. I'll call your parents and have them pick you up—"

"That's really not necessary," Edd said quickly. "They're at work. I don't want to bother them."

"The last thing you need is to be walking around school for another two hours. You need to go home and get some rest," The nurse said. "I must insist. I'm sure your parents will understand."

Edd opened his mouth, but he closed it without a word, knowing it was useless. He sighed and dropped his gaze to the ground. He hated troubling his parents for anything, especially for something like this. He could only picture what his parents would say if they saw they state he was in.

"I'll take him home," Kevin said suddenly, and Edd's head snapped up to look at him. "I drove him here."

The nurse debated for a second, before she nodded. "I'll call the main office and inform them you two are leaving. Your names?"

They gave their names and the nurse gave them permission to leave as she left to make the call.

"Thank you for all of this," Edd said as they walked down the hallway towards Edd's locker.

"Don't mention it," Kevin told him.

They went to Edd's locker and Edd grabbed his book-bag. Kevin didn't have to go to his so after that they left. During the ride back to the cul-de-sac, Edd held Kevin just a little bit tighter than normal and rested his head against Kevin's back. Kevin parked his bike in Edd's driveway and walked Edd to his door.

"Would you... like to come in?" Edd asked, a bit of color rising in his cheeks as he glanced up at Kevin. He wondered briefly when the teen had gotten so much taller than him. Kevin had hit a growth spurt the summer before high school, while Edd had only grown a couple of inches at best. He was actually a bit short for his age now, despite having been tall for his age when he was younger.

"I'd love to dork," Kevin said, a smile appearing on his face at the invitation. Edd unlocked his door and led the way inside, Kevin closing the door behind them. The first thing Kevin insisted he do was take some Advil like the nurse had instructed him. As Edd got himself a glass of water to wash it down, Kevin's stomach growled audibly. Kevin flushed, turning redder than Edd had ever seen the teen turn, and Edd giggled.

"I take it you're hungry?" Edd commented, smiling.

"I skipped lunch," Kevin muttered, scratching the back of his neck—a habit, Edd had noticed, he did when he was embarrassed.

Edd rummaged through his cupboard and pulled down a large can of soup. "Is chicken noodle soup satisfactory?"

"It's perfect."

Edd grabbed a can opener out of the drawer and moved to open it, but before he could, Kevin snatched it from his hand.

"You're supposed to be relaxing," Kevin reminded him. "I'll cook this. You take the pills and sit down."

Edd considered protesting, but he decided against it at the last second. He was used to always taking care of himself, a necessity when his parents were never around to do it. Maybe it was okay to let Kevin take care him for just a little bit. He followed Kevin's instructions and took the Advil before he settled down at the table. He watched Kevin heat up the soup, supplying information here and there when Kevin needed to know where something was. It was more than nice watching somebody take care of him for a change and the fact that, that somebody was Kevin—Edd was certain he had never felt happier than he did at that moment, except perhaps during their date.

When Kevin was finished cooking it, he dished out the soup evenly into two bowls and then he moved straight to the sink and began washing out the pan. Edd smiled as he watched him clean out the pan. When he had eaten at Kevin's house, Kevin had just left the sauce-covered pan on the stove without a care in the world as they ate, something that had irked Edd a bit being the neat freak he was. Now, Kevin was actually taking the time to rinse the pan thoroughly and Edd knew it was because Kevin knew he was a neat freak, and, for some reason, that made Edd extremely happy.

As they ate, Kevin asked about Edd's injury frequently, as if worried it'd get worse after every bite of chicken noodle soup. Edd found it incredibly endearing how concerned he was. As the soup lessened in their bowls, the conversation dwindled to a stand-still, both of them running out of things to say. As silence fell, Edd remembered yesterday. He glanced at Kevin, catching his gaze on him for a second before Kevin abruptly looked down at his soup. Edd was almost certain Kevin was thinking about yesterday as well and suddenly, after spending the whole day anxiously awaiting the conversation, Edd actually wanted to talk about it. He wanted to know what there relationship was. After he had found out the real reason why Kevin had been walking him to his classes, he had been disappointed. Embarrassment had won out at that moment, but the disappointment was still there, reduced to an empty pit in his stomach. Edd swallowed hard and summoned up all his courage—surprisingly, it wasn't that hard. Watching the guy you like beat somebody to a pulp for hitting you gave a person a lot of confidence.

"If you don't mind me asking," Edd began, glancing at Kevin. Heat burned his cheeks and his heart thumped unsteadily in his chest. "What precisely is the definition of our current standing?"

Kevin stared at him blankly, a spoonful of soup paused halfway to his mouth. After several seconds he said, "What?"

Edd rethought his wording and tried again. "What is our relationship?"

Realization dawned on Kevin's face and then, almost at once, color flooded into his cheeks. "Oh," Kevin said, clearing his throat. He lowered the spoonful of soup back into the bowl before he glanced at Edd. "What do you want it to be?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Edd said after a second, although he did understand, quite well in fact. Still, he needed to hear it from Kevin's mouth. No more guessing this time.

Kevin rolled his eyes before he fixed his gaze on Edd, looking at him directly. "Do you want to go out with me, dork?"

Edd paused before he began, "As in—"

"Dating," Kevin finished for him. "Do you want to—will you go out with me?"

Edd's heart sped in his chest at the word and his stomach flipped. Warmth coursed through him and he knew his face must be scarlet, but right now, he couldn't care less as happiness rushed through him. He could stop the large, gap-toothed smile that appeared on his face as he said, "Certainly."

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So, what'd ya think? :) There will probably be about two or three more chapters after this, possibly more depending on their lengths. _Lost at Sea_ is almost coming to the end, but don't fret, there will be a lot more KevEdd fics where that came from.


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